Releasable latch assembly



R.`P. MILLER RELEASABLE LATCH ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 16,1960 lllfnz 3 INV ENTOR Aug- 21, 1962 R. P. MILLER 3,656,322

RELEASABLE LATCH ASSEMBLY Filed May 16, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FI G. 3.

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u 4b\ 17a 9a 17 m 9 15 2C( I INVENIOR FIG@ ROERT P M1 LER ATTORN3,050,322 RELEASABLE LATCH ASSEMBLY Robert P. Miller, South Miami, Fla.,assignor to Daryl Industries, Inc., Miami, Fia., a corporation ofFlorida Filed May 16, 1969, Ser. No. 29,287 Claims. (Cl. 292-114) Thisinvention relates to a releasable latch assembly for sliding closuressuch as sliding screen door or window frames, the sliding frame being oftubular or hollow construction.

An important object of the invention is to provide a latch assembly ofthe above character in which the latch mechanism is housed in the spacewithin the hollow sliding frame and manually and selectively operable bymeans of a push button extending outwardly through a wall of the frameto either disengage the latch from its keeper each time the closure isto be opened or to disable the latching mechanism over a period of timeso that the closure may be freely moved between closed and openpositions without engaging the latch. More particularly, this object isaccomplished by so constructing and arranging the push button that itmay be depressed in a straight line for releasing the latch or may bedepressed and then rocked or shifted laterally to maintain the latch inholdopen position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch assembly of theabove character which comprises a floatingly supported push buttoncapable of being depressed and shifted or rocked laterally for engaginga detent with a stationary part of the frame so as to maintain the latchin hold-open position, and including an abutment on the push button toprevent disengagement of the detent, such as might occur when the frameis slammed shut or subjected to other sudden impacts or shocks. Thus thelatch, in its preferred construction, is depressible rectilinearly torelease the keeper each time the closure is to be opened, oralternatively it may be shifted or rocked laterally to maintain thelatch inoperative in its hold-open position as long as desired.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide alatch of the above character capable of tting into a small space, thatis extremely simple in construction, easy to install, foolproof inoperation, conveniient to manipulate and generally inexpensive tomanufacture.

The foregoing and other objectives, advantages, and features ofconstruction will become apparent from a consideration of the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary perspective view of a slidling screen door,including the latch assembly of the invention, showing the door inpartially open position;

FIGURE 2 is a detail view on a reduced scale in side elevation,illustrating the screen door in closed and locked position;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the latch assemblyillustrating the screen door in closed position with the latch assemblyin locked relationship;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 hut illustratingthe button of the latch assembly in holdopen position with the keeperreleased from the latch;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional View similar to FIGURE 4 ybut showing thescreen door and its latch moved out of engagement with the keeper;

FIGURE 6 is a detailed perspective view of the Iretainer for the latchbutton; and

FIGURE 7 is a detail, perspective view of the latch button.

The screen door A illustrated in the drawings is adapted to be mountedfor horizontal sliding movement within a casing B which latter may bedesigned to also provide a t in closed position.

aSZZ Patented Aug. 2l, 1962 housing `for a sliding glass door (notshown) adapted to travel in a plane parallel to the screen door. Boththe screen door A and the casing B are desirably composed of metal, suchas extruded aluminum, and the vertically-disposed portion ofthe casingdefines a jarrrb 1 against which the sliding screen and glass doors areadapted to abut when in closed positions.

Perimetrally skirting the side of the casing facing outdoors is avertical channel 2, coextensive with the jamb 1, and meeting ahorizontal channel 3 extending along the base of the casing. The screendoor comprises a lrectangular, hollow frame 4, only a portion of whichis illustrated in FiG. l of the drawings, having parallel side walls 4aand a perimetral end wall 4b. Coextensive with the indoors-facing sidelwall 4a of the screen frame is a perimetral flange, the horizontal run5 of which slides within the channel 3 and the vertical run 6 isreceived within the channel 2 when the screen door is closed. A sectionof iiexible screening 7, which may he composed of metal, plastic orfiberglass strands, spans the inner space of the frame and has its edgessecured within recesses 8 extending about the inside perimeter oftheframe opening.

The sliding screen door construction thus far described may be regardedas more or less conventional.

Fixedly secured to the outer flange 2a of the Vertical channel 2 on thejanrb l of the casing B is a keeper plate 9 having a slotted end 9afitting over and riveted to this flange. The keeper plate extendsparallel to the horizontal `channel 3 and lies in the path of travel ofthe sliding screen frame 4. The keeper plate 9 opposite its slotted endis formed with a shouldered projection or hook 9b designed to cooperatewith the latch mechanism, about to he described, housed within thevertical, jamb-abutting, section of the hollow screen frame vfor lockingthe frame For this purpose the end wall 4b of the frame is provided withan opening 4c to permit passage of the keeper into the hollow stile whenthe screen frame is closed against the casing I.

The latch assembly is illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 7 of the drawing.Adapted to snugly i'it the housing provided by the hollow frame screenis a rectangular mounting plate 10 having upon its opposite edges twoparallel upturned arms 10a. The plate 19 lies atly against the innersurface of one of the side -walls 4a ofthe frame and the arms 10a`bridge the space between the two side walls with the ends of the ar-msabutting the inner surface of a side wall. To maintain the mountingplate 10 against shifting within the hollow stile, the vertical edge ofthe plate foots against a projection 1l on the inner surface of a sidewall 4a. The mounting plate is also maintained in place by a pin l2, atapered end 12a of which projects through two registering holes 13 and13a in the mounting plate 10 and in one of the side walls 4a of theframe, respectively.

In a side wall 4a of the hollow section of the screen frame is providedan opening 4d through which projects a rectangular shaped block 14having longitudinal serrations 14a forming the finger-engaging portionof a push button. Upon its opposite longitudinal sides, the block isextended rearwardly from its face to define a pair of spaced-apart,parallel arms 15 and 16 which freely occupy the space within the frameintermediate its opposed side walls 4a. Extending lengthwise upon bothof the arms 15 and 16 in substantially a common plane located a spaceddistance from the serrated, linger-engaging `face of the block 14, is apair of flanges 15a and 16a having at outer faces and inwardlyconvergent edges adapted to normally abut the inner surface of a sidewall surrounding the push button opening 4d and limit the protrusion ofthe block 14 outwardly through this opening. A corner of the block 14 isrecessed to form a longitudinal shoulder 14b adapted to serve as adetent for the block as will later be explained.

The free end of the arm 16 is formed with a lateral extension 17 that isdirected outwardly in a direction generally perpendicular to the arm 16,and terminates in an upturned projection or hook 17a, the extension 17and projection 17a together delining a latch member for cooperation withthe keeper plate 9. A coil spring 18 has one end encircling the pin 12and bearing against an enlarged collar 12b on the pin locatedimmediately above the tapered end 12a of the pin, while the other end ofthe spring extends through the clearance between the two arms 15 and 16of the push button and bears against the inner face of the block 14, theinner face of the block being recessed, as indicated at 14e, to serve asa seat for the end of the spring` The spring 1S extends substantiallybeyond the end of the pin 12 and is under slight compression so as toexert a thrust between the push button and the pin and provide a oatingsupport for the push button. The spring thus permits both rectilinear,lateral and rocking movement of the push button. The latch 17 limits therocking movement of the push button by striking the mounting plate 1t)at which time the detent shoulder 14h may be snapped under the margin ofthe opening 4d in the side Wall 4a of the stile. This maintains the pushbutton in depressed position with the latch 17 clear of thekeeper-entrance opening 4c in the end face of the stile, as best shownin FIGS. 4 and 5 The detent shoulder 141') is so related to the ange 15aon the push button block 14 that, when the push button s rocked to thelimit permitted by latch 17, the flange 15a enters the push buttonopening 4d and holds the detent in engagement with the opposite edge ofthe opening. At the same time the oit-center direction of thrust of thecoil spring 18 is such as to tend to maintain the push button in itstilted position. Because the tapered end 12a of the pin 12 has a loose twithin the holes 13 and 13a of the mounting plate and side wall 4a ofthe stile respectively, this pin is free `to tilt to adjust itself tothe direction of thrust of the spring 18 upon the block 14 when thelatter is rocked or shifted laterally.

The screen frame is provided with a handle attached to the frame whichmay take the form of a plate 19 disposed generally parallel to thescreen having one end attached to the screen frame and its other endformed with `an angled offset portion 19a presenting a finger grip.

In operation of the latch assembly described above from the latched tounlatched positions, it is only necessary to depress the push button 14to disconnect the latch 17 from the keeper 9 whereupon a pull on thehandle 19 will impart sliding movement to the screen frame 4. With thepush button then released, the button under the urge of coil spring 18will automatically relock the frame when it is moved back to a closedposition.

In the event it is desired to orientate the push button 14 so that itwill not automatically latch when the frame is closed, the push buttonis depressed and tilted or moved laterally to the position illustratedin FIGURE 4 whereupon the detent 14b snaps under one edge of the pushbutton opening 4d and the inclined surface on the flange 15a abuts theopposite edge of the opening 4d. Thus, the latch button cannot be movedlaterally to hold-open position unless the push button is firstdepressed and then rocked or shifted laterally. Even if the screen frameis slammed closed, the push button will not be jarred loose but willstill be retained in its holdopen position, as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

The entire latch assembly, except possibly for the keeper, is preferablyof extruded aluminum.V The keeper 9 is desirably constructed of somewear resistant plastic material, such as nylon or the like.

Manifestly the concepts of this invention may be incorporated withvarious structural features and arrangements in which a reciprocating orsliding closure may be locked in closed position and includingconveniently oper- 4 able means for disabling the latching mechanismwhen desired.

While this invention has been` described in a specific form and asoperating in a specic manner for the purpose of illustration, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited thereto, since variousmodifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of this invention, the scope of whichis set forth in the annexed claims.

-I Claim:

l. A releasable latch assembly for sliding closures', comprising a latchmounted movably in a housing formed in an edge of such a closure, aiixed keeper mounted adjacent to the closure for coopertion with fthelatch, a push button, secured to the latch and being oatingly mountedwithin the housing with a nger engageable portion normally urgedoutwardly through an opening provided in the housing and projectingthrough the opening when the latch is in its latched position engagingthe keeper, resilient means urging ysaid nger engageable portionoutwardly, said push button being reciprocable in a straight line to adepressed position within the housing wherein the latch is in itsunlatched position and also being rockable laterally into a hold-openposition wherein the latch is unlatched from the keeper with the fingerengageable portion projecting outwardly through the opening and tiltedwith respect to the edge of said opening, and detent means on the pushbutton for cooperating with the edge of the opening to retain lthe pushbutton in lits tilted hold-open position until it is released by beingdepressed.

2. A releasable latch assembly 4for sliding closures, comprising a latchmounted movably in fa housing formed in an edge of such a closure, aiixed keeper mounted adjacent to the closure for cooperation with 'thelatch, a push button secured to the latch land having a iingerengageable portion which projects outwardly through an opening in thehousing when the latch is in its l-atched position engaging the keeper,a spring oatin-gly supporting the push button within the housing andnormally urging the linger engageable portion outwardly through saidopening, said push button being reciprocable in a straight line betweenits projecting position `and a depressed position within the housingwherein the latch is unlatched from the keeper, said push button alsobeing rookable laterally into a hold-open position wherein the latch isunlatched kfrom the keeper and the finger engageable portion stillprojects outwardly through the opening but is tilted with respect to theedge of said opening, and detent means on the push button for engagingthe edge of the opening to retain the push button in its rtiltedhold-open position until it is released by being depressed.

3. The latch assembly dened Iby claim 2, wherein the push button isprovided with a laterally projecting shoulder which limits the outwardlyprojecting movement thereof and assists in retaining it in its holdopenposition.

4. A releasable latch assembly for sliding closures, comprising a latchmounted movably in a housing formed in an edge of such a closure, a txedkeeper mounted adjacent to the closure for cooperation with the latch, apush button body having a finger engageable head porftion which projectsoutwardly through an opening in the housing when the latch is in itslatched position engaging the keeper, a pair of spaced parallel armsprojecting inwardly into the housing from said head portion, one of saidarms being secured to the latch, a spring engaging the inner side of thehead portion between said arms for lloatingly supporting the push buttonwithin lthe housing and normally urging the head portion outwardlythrough said opening, said push button being reciprocable in a straightline between its projecting position and a depressed position Within thehousing wiherein the latchV is unlatched from the keeper, said push4button also being rockable laterally into a hold-open position whereinthe latch is unlatched from the keeper and the `finger engageable headportion still projects outwardly through the opening but is tilted withrespect to the edge of said With the cooperating edge of the openingthereby assistopening, and detent means on one side of the head poringin retaining the push button in its hold-open position. tion of the push`button Ifor engaging the edge of the opening to retain the push buttonin its tilted hold-open References Cited in the file of this patentposition until it -is released by bein-g depressed. v

5. The llatch assembly -dened by claim 4, wherein the 5 UNITED STATESPATENTS push button is provided with a laterally projecting shoul-2,670,931 Wenham Mar. 2y 1954 der which limits the outwardly projectingmovement thereof, 'and a portion of the shoulder on the side oppo-FOREIGN PATENTS site ythat on which the `detent is located is shaped tomate 10 652,754 Germany Nov. 6, 1937

